SAN FRANCISCO – The first championship brought incalculable joy, relief and catharsis.

The second one provided validation.

The San Francisco Giants made their fans wait 52 years before capturing their first World Series title since moving to the West Coast in 1958, then rewarded their patience with a second one last year.

On Friday, the Giants began a weekend-long celebration of their achievement, but with different touches.

The championship flag was brought in by San Francisco firemen arriving in a tug boat, and was carried to the flagpole by several players. In 2011 closer Brian Wilson – who is no longer with the team – did the honors.

Oh, and franchise icon Barry Bonds is no longer on trial, as he was when the Giants raised their previous championship banner.

"We don't want to do a carbon copy of the way we commemorated 2010,'' team president Larry Baer said. "For a lot of reasons. One of them is, each year is a different movie. 2012 had its own set of amazing, unique features. 2010 was the first, so that's huge. But look at 2012. It was overcoming adversity.''

The 2012 Giants won six elimination games in the playoffs and thrived despite losing Wilson to an elbow injury and outfielder Melky Cabrera to a drug suspension. That might have earned them the recognition that seemed to elude them after the 2010 title.

Their first three games of this season against the Los Angeles Dodgers were televised nationally, two by ESPN channels and the other by the MLB Network. Saturday's game will be on Fox.

After sweeping the favored Detroit Tigers in last year's World Series, San Francisco has thrust itself into the conversation of the game's elite franchises, with NL MVP Buster Posey as its cornerstone now and for years to come.

"There was a feeling in the front office and the clubhouse that, 'OK, you won one, you got a perfect alignment so you won one,''' Baer said. "But when you win a second one in a short period there's a feeling of a little bit more respect. … There was a feeling of some validation.''

The St. Louis Cardinals will attest to the Giants' resiliency.

The Cardinals, then the defending World Series champions, had San Francisco in a 3-1 hole in last year's NL Championship Series, with the possible clincher at Busch Stadium.

But long-maligned lefty Barry Zito – Friday's starter – turned the series around with the game of his life, throwing 7 2/3 innings of six-hit ball as the Giants prevailed 5-0 and sent the series back to San Francisco. The Cardinals scored a total of one run in the last three games and were routed 9-0 in the finale.

"That game really stung,'' said St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, who along with his players patiently watched Friday's pregame festivities.

"Coming back here is a reminder of how things ended for us. The guys have a great deal of respect for the Giants organization and the team last year, but we also respect the fact that we felt we could have put a better finish on it than we did.''

Like Matheny, Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran played for the Giants. He was a late-July acquisition who failed to propel the team back to the playoffs as it tried to defend its title in 2011.

Now in his 16th season, Beltran desperately wants to make it to his first World Series, and his timing has been off. He played for the Giants in the middle year between their championships and joined the Cardinals the season after they won theirs.

He sees parallels between both clubs, who have combined for the last three crowns.

"I think what separates them from the rest if they're willing to make whatever moves are necessary to improve the team. That's the difference between winning and losing teams,'' Beltran said.

"You may have injuries or things that happen, and if you don't do anything to improve the team, it sends a negative message to the players. These are organizations that will make those moves, and they have demonstrated it throughout the years.''

Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis is waved home by third base coach Tim Wallach in the sixth inning of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-, USA TODAY Sports

Robbie Parker, right, receives a hug from Rangers representative Ivan Rodriguez after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Parker's 6-year-old daughter, Emilie, was among the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.
Tony Gutierrez, AP

Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder, left, pitcher Justin Verlander, center, and third baseman Miguel Cabrera unveil a 2012 American League Championship banner before their opening day game against the Yankees.
Paul Sancya, AP